Nightmares
by The WolvGambit
Summary: Anya sleeps in the room next door to the man she's been in love with for over a decade. His restlessness awakens her yet again...it could lead to the very thing she's been thinking about for so very long.


Nightmares

Summary: Anya sleeps in the room next door to the man she's been in love with for over a decade. His restlessness awakens her yet again...it could lead to the very thing she's been thinking about for so very long.

Xxxxxxxxx

Ever since they had boarded the floating vessel she figured things would be different. The COG had disbanded and everything seemed to be going as planned. She tossed to her side as she heard another low groan from the room beside her. Marcus never slept well, she knew this from the times he'd forget to turn of the com-link before getting the ten minute quick naps in the field. Anya worried about him frequently and she thought that since the worst was behind them all he would loosen up just a small amount. Out of respect for his personal space she chose a separate room from him, not wanting to push him too far out of his comfort zone. After the first few nights she regretted that decision for both of their sakes.

Another strand of mumbled curses hit her ears followed by a shout. The sound that broke the silence was filled with so much pain that she could not sit idly by anymore. Each night for the past month she'd lain there while he suffered, waking in the night, walking the halls, stopping at her door only to pause and walk back to his own room. It took a great deal of self control not to open the door for him, make him stay with her, ease both of them. But she didn't. Anya remained rooted to her perch, the covers drawn over her shoulder, while her eyes were trained at the door.

She waited for the usual routine to start, it was always a few minutes before or after 0300 that he would wake and begin his walk...however tonight it wasn't coming. After a beat, she realized this when his anguished cries turned into screams increasing in volume. Names of the soldiers he'd lost in every battle he'd been in. Tonight was the last night he'd go on like this, she decided. Determined, Anya threw the covers off her body, the tanktop and shorts barely keeping the cold at bay as she moved to the door and then made her way to the adjoining room.

His door was unlocked, it always was, she'd hear Dom check on him at times before he retired to his own room. Light from Risea lit the area around her, the gentle sway of the ship making her slightly off balance as she clutched the attached shelf beside her. Even in sleep, Marcus' face was grim. Usually people's faces relaxed in sleep, making them look younger, more peaceful. Though, not in his case. He hung onto the same expression in his sleeping state that he did in his waking one. Anya looked upon him with tired eyes as he clutched the pillow under his head tightly, continuing to mumble. Sweat glistened off his brow, the black hair shimmering with the perspiration.

Moving closer to him, she began to admire his physique; easily distracted by his muscled chest uncovered and coated with a fine sheen of hair that trailed down towards the top of his cut off sweat-shorts. The covers were tossed haphazardly to the side as he continued to struggle with his inner-demons. A strangled grunt brought her back to her original purpose in his space. Easing forward again Anya placed a hand on his tattooed shoulder, the prisoner ID permanently inked into his skin seemed to burn with every pain he had encountered in the four years he was incarcerated. He never spoke of it, but she knew he dreamed about it.

**Fenix, Marcus **

Her fingers traced over the barcode then to what was written below.

**Cell Block 38  
098356-GX**

Underneath that was the symbol for the 26th Tyran Infantry in the Locust/Human war. Two crossed lancers with a skull in between. Finally she found the courage to shake him, his scarred body barely moved even with all the force she put behind it.

"Marcus." She tried again, adding her voice to the mix next to his ear. Combing her fingers through his sweat saturated hair.

"No..." He moaned in response to her gentle prodding. His large hand grasping hers, the wet digits sliding against her skin as he pried her hand from his head. "Can't lose...need...No Dom don't...Carlos shouldn't...Anya..."

Only the names she recognized, hers among them, she twined her fingers with his, tugging on his arm before using her free hand tracing the scar that adorned the right side of his face. A scar she knew he received in prison. The jagged depression that started at his temple, running down along his cheek, breaking in several places before settling at the center of his face; the side of his upper lip along with it.

"Marcus, wake up it isn't real."

"Anya..." He relaxed a moment and she thought he was awake until she heard something he'd never say if he was. "Stay with me..."

Marcus said it like Dom would to Maria. Soft and low, rumbling in her ear. His eyes were closed, his breathing partly even until she tried to remove her hand from his grasp to reposition herself. Immediately he pulled her down beside him on the full bed that barely even fit his own size. Anya felt her body respond to him like it had done for so many years, betraying her professionalism, her need to stay focused. How easy it would be to take advantage of the situation, how she craved it. Albeit, she couldn't do that to him.

"Marcus, wake up."

She tried again, pressing against his body with all her might until he bolted up right taking her with him, his free hand combing through his wet hair. Unfocused blue eyes met her sea-colored ones. A look of confusion crossed his face as he looked down at their joined hands, his grip loosening before falling away completely. She felt the disconnect deep in her chest even though this was his natural behavior. Anya turned away from his penetrating gaze, still feeling its heat.

"What are you doing here?" His words weren't harsh, but they were to the point. Their message clear. She had crossed that fragile line that he had drawn so long ago. It just wasn't with her but almost everyone he'd ever encountered. Anya blamed his parents for being so distant with him. Every wall that had ever been built had been due to the past, before they ever met.

Finally she found her voice, keeping her eyes on the white bed spread turned blue due to the glow of the moon. "You were having a nightmare, I was trying to wake you."

He shifted beside her, the springs in the old mattress creaking with every move before she felt his weight completely leave the space beside her. Anya looked at him then, his muscled back scared by whips faced her. Half the time they treaded on thin ice around each other. This was one of those moments. Marcus made a noise in the back of his throat, one she was fully familiar with. That low rumble that signaled he was uncomfortable with something.

Drawing a breath, she moved to stand behind him, her fingers tracing the numerous raised and indented patterns that criss-crossed his broad back, his muscles formed by hard work. He stiffened for a moment, like a caged animal, before he relaxed slightly.

"It's been close to twenty years." His voice was so low she had to strain to hear him. "Carlos..."

Anya didn't take any of this for granted. It was some of the first contact they'd had since the came on board this floating fortress, she wasn't about to waste it. The warmth of his body did wonders for her cool skin, heating it like a furnace. She knew he was still shaken by whatever he dreamed about, this close contact was a rarity she just had to enjoy.

"I know, Marcus." A sigh escaped her as she rested her cheek against his spine. "My mother was out there too."

He turned then, so abruptly that he knocked her off balance. His hand clutched her upper arm, the grip firm but not bruising. Anya didn't know what to expect of him, thousands of emotions were stirring in those neon blue depths pieces she wished to connect for him if only he'd let her. Suddenly she was drawn close to him, chest to chest as she looked up at him...then his lips were on hers.

His lips were soft, slightly chapped, moving slowly; sensually. Her eyes slowly slid closed as he pushed her against the wall, lifting her legs to wrap around his waist. No words were spoken, none were needed it seemed since they would pollute the fragile air around them; break the spell he was under as his lips moved to her neck sucking the skin in his mouth before laving it with his tongue.

Anya's body arched towards his, a low moan escaping her throat as he pressed into her, answering her call. Then they were on his bed, her underneath him, the shirt she was wearing lost somewhere as he pressed his chest against hers, the fine hairs tickling her nipples. Marcus paused then, looking in her eyes, his expression grim as he rose to his knees before her.

"Anya...I." She pressed her fingers to his lips, silencing him before pulling him back atop her.

"Don't stop." Her voice was quiet, afraid of ruining the mood as she pulled him in for another kiss. He resisted for only a moment before taking over again.

Soon he became more forceful with his kisses, passion igniting between the two of them, the humid air swirling around causing her breath to catch as he latched on to one of her bared breasts. She'd lost her shorts while he'd lost his cutoffs, skin on skin had never felt so glorious. Anya knew she was risking a lot to be here in this moment, any time he could snap out of this trance and become the cold man he was before.

However, cold really wasn't the name for it, emotionally impaired was more to the point of his condition. At times he sounded like his father when dealing with particularly rough mannered people, other times he could be on the right side of gentle when dealing with children. It was that thought that crossed her mind then as she broke away from him. She was barren. His passion-filled eyes carried a hint of pain in them then as he raised a questioning eyebrow in her direction. They were naked in his bed, the covers in the floor and here she was thinking about the children she couldn't give him. He was thirty-six, she was thirty-two. Would he even think of having kids?

Suddenly there was a pressure on the left side of her face. His calloused hand was turning her gaze towards his. A gaze she hadn't realized she'd dropped until she was met with those unnatural colored eyes.

"Yes or no Anya." He stated simply. "We cross this line I ain't goin' back and neither are you."

This was his way of giving her an out along with acknowledging every feeling, every intimate thought that had been shared between them since the day they'd met. Every fantasy, every longing glance, every partial touch. Anya had memorized them all and it had boiled down to one question. Did he care that she was barren? Unable to conceive?

Marcus continued to wait, his eyes never leaving hers as he traced her cheek with his fingertips.

"Do you want kids?" The question came out before she could stop it and the look on his face that followed was so full of an emotion that she could not place that she feared for his answer.

"No." It was blunt, to the point, and not at all what she was expecting of him. "Anya, I passed my prime years ago. I'm thirty-six with a military career longer than my arm. I know you can't have kids, but this is not going to stop me from having you finally after all these years. You're mine, Anya."

Her eyes widened at his words, this had been the most he'd talked since they arrived on Vectes. When he did talk, he was heavy and blunt to his squad, but when it came to her...he formed words while his voice sounded like rough sandpaper on silk. However, these little details mixed together to create the perfect man for her in her eyes.

Being claimed by him was unexpected. It felt as if they were going back to the old laws before government was even established. "Yes or no, Anya."

"Yes." She found herself answering before his lips crashed upon hers once more, his rough tongue tangling with hers, the thick muscle moving in synch as he settled between her thighs. His cock was thick, hard, hot, and heavy against her, the weight a pleasurable one as he slid it through her folds before entering her in one swift stroke.

The pain made her bite down on his lip, drawing blood. Copper filled her mouth as she looked at his torn bottom lip when he leaned back, still joined with her. As her tear-filled eyes connected with his, he rotated his hips in a circular fashion, the heft of him rubbing against her inner walls causing her to cry out in half pain/ half pleasure before he gently started a rhythm. In and out, in and out, it was methodical in nature, an ease into the full transition where she'd heard at only a few of the parties she'd been allowed to go to, to know how men sometimes liked to go fast and strong the entire time.

If this thing between them, whatever it was, managed to grow after this event, would he even consider doing that with her? Her thoughts were broken as his lips pressed against hers again, his weight atop her as his hips started to piston in and out of her at a slightly more rapid pace. The sounds of flesh against flesh caused a blush to creep to her already red cheeks, it all felt too good to be true. Every bit of it.

The rough pad of his thumb pressed against her clit then bringing her back into the fray. His disjoined rhythm kept her on edge, unable to go over as he continued to rotate his hips trying so hard to get her there before himself. After a few more uneven thrusts she folded one arm around his free one next to her head before trailing her remaining one down to where they were joined. Anya placed her hand over his moving his thumb in her preferred rhythm, circling the engorged skin together.

"C'mon..." He grunted then, his head dropping to the crook of her neck. "C'mon."

"Harder..." She found herself saying, the words escaping before she could stop them.

"Anya." Marcus lifted his head then, his hips snapping forward as he lowered himself to his elbow.

A few measured thrusts later tossed her over the edge, the fingers of his free hand laced with hers as a low moan passed through his parted lips. She shivered and shook, completely boneless as he slowed to a stop. Their eyes met, green to that pale blue before he threw his head back. The veins stood out as he grasped her other hand, linking their fingers before his hips gained rhythm once more.

Each thrust slid her upward before settling back down, the sheets helping her slide, his hands keeping her in place as he leaned down to kiss her again. "Anya."

Her name became like a prayer, a whispered chant on his lips as he finally reared back and released with a low growl collapsing atop her. His breath stirred her hair as his face rested in the crook of her neck. Marcus tried to move away from her then, but she held strong. Her legs wrapped around his hips , holding him in place as he softened within her. His heavy breathing lulled her into a state of relaxation, the sweat drying and cooling their heated bodies. It was the last thing she remembered before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Xxxxxxx

Anya awoke to the sun streaming in through the small porthole window, it was well past dawn and as the rays stung her unready eyes she felt a weight shift beside her, a large warm arm pull her against a hard heated body. A muffled groan escaped her bed-mate and something hard pushed into her back briefly before moving backward. Startled for a moment, she started to pull away until the memories from last night came flooding back.

"What time is it?" She heard him grumble behind her. Blinking rapidly she picked up the watch on the side table and looked at the time.

"It's after eight." A yawn escaped him as he pulled her closer.

"Mmm." He sighed. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah."

They were back to this again, only few word sentences between them. Anya tried to get up but he held her to him, refusing to release her.

"Where you goin'?"

She had no answer for him and remained in his arms the silence around them quite suffocating.

Suddenly she found herself flipped over on her back, Marcus hovering above her with his fingertips holding her chin so she could meet his gaze. There was something in those neon depths that caused her to respond then. Tell the truth, be bold like she had when they first arrived on the island.

"Back to my room." She couldn't look in his eyes then, afraid to see what rested in them.

"No." It sounded like an order, a rough command and her eyes met his. The blue burned with so much intensity that she thought she may catch fire from it. Then his lips crashed upon hers, hungrily plundering her mouth with his tongue; stealing her breath. "You ain't goin' nowhere."

Anya knew that was Marcus speak for 'you're moving in'.

-END


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